~ In partnership with the UMass Stockbridge School of Agriculture

New Stockbridge Class in the Spring – Ethnobotany of the Renaissance

The Stockbridge School of Agriculture is pleased to be able to offer a new class in the spring semester focused on the Renaissance Center Garden. It is:

STOCKSCH 297 ER – Ethnobotany of the Renaissance

… will be taught by our head gardener and educator, Jennie Bergeron. The syllabus for the class is presented below. This is a two-credit class which will meet on Monday afternoons from 2:30pm – 4:25pm during the spring semester.

Course Description: This course is a hands on learning experience rooted in the UMass Renaissance Center’s 16th century kitchen garden. Students explore historic gardens with a focus of Renaissance era plants and their cultural uses.

Student Learning Objectives:

Class discussions of culinary, medicinal and utilitarian use of plants in the Renaissance with a focus on the common population and comparing the same plants in modern times.

Students will grow Renaissance era plants in the greenhouse and participate in hands on outdoor learning at the UMass Renaissance Center’s 16th century kitchen garden and participate in ongoing plans for the garden project.

Students will complete a botanically focused project based on their own research. Course includes at least one field trip.